Something Simple

As I started pondering the wonderful and exciting path God had for my life, I was also reading though Amazma's blog. I doubt there was anytime I was ever more "on fire" for the Lord than then. In fact, I always thought that was a strange saying, but it really fit! (It still seems like a strange saying.) The person who writes the blog is named Katie and she lives in Uganda helping and loving people there in the name of the Lord. She is such an amazing inspiration, that she motivated me to examine my own life.

I prayed over my own life, my desires, my gifts. I asked God what part of His mission I could be part of. I told God how excited I was to be part of this. I confessed my laziness and apathy. I was so eager. I told God, "I will go to Uganda if you want me to!" God's gentle voice came to me asking if I meant it. "Of course I do!!! I will go! I will serve you!" (Of course, in my eagerness, I had no plans for how this would work out, but if it was God's calling, it would work. In that way I had strong faith." Again, I heard God's voice asking if I meant it. "Of course I mean it!!!" Was my answer again.

Then God asked, "But you won't go 7 miles?" 

"Uh, what?"

"You will go to Uganda, but you won't go 7 miles?"

"Um. What are we talking about?"

At this point, God was silent because I knew full well what He was talking about. 7 miles from my current home is another city. A very nice neighborhood with very large homes. BUT! It means I leave all the conveniences of here to move there. It will seem to everyone else that we just moved. No biggie. If I moved to Uganda, then I was a "Hero" a "Missionary." If I move 7 miles, nothing. Not that I was in it for the accolades, but I also wasn't looking for any unnecessary inconveniences either. Uh oh. There it was. The sin that was part of the problem. I was embarrassed to move to that part of town. THIS part of town is much more desirable.

I think God doesn't need me in Uganda at the moment. It seems God needs me to move...7 miles.

This whole encounter reminds me of the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. It is funny because as I was going through this "conversation" with God, I taught this story a couple of times AND my friend brought it to my attention at a prayer meeting. My guess? Not a coincidence.

In case you aren't familiar with the story, here is my version (God's version is significantly better) and the way I would make it if I were directing the movie:


Naaman is sick so he goes to see Elisha. Elisha knows he is coming and why but realizes that God's got this one handled without much fuss on Elisha's part. When Naaman gets to Elisha's, a servant comes and gives him instructions on how to be healed. (In the movie this information would be given to Elisha in a dismissing tone...but that is my artistic impression.) Naaman is MAD. "Isn't Elisha even going to come out???" "Nope." And with that, the servant shuts the door. Naaman had all sorts of grand plans for what Elisha could do - they all involved very complicated rituals. Naaman looks at the servant who was with him and asks, "Can you believe that guy? Some "Prophet" he turned out to be. Well, I guess we wasted a trip. Let's go."

But the Servant thought, "Huh, well, we are here. Let's give it a try." Now Naaman was mad at him to. How dare he!!! "If he gave you something hard to do, you would do it, but he didn't. Why not try it?" The servant was trying to save his tushy now.

"Fine." Naaman just wants to get home and thought it would be easier to try this thing than listen to the servant all the way home.

And he was healed...I wonder if I would have responded just like Naaman. I was willing to do the hard things...Uganda...but the easy thing??? Ha. I learned from Naaman. I am out looking...7 miles from here.